Working As A Nurse Practitioner

We are seeing more and more Nurse Practitioners when we visit the doctor now. You may be wondering why that is the case. To put it simply a Nurse Practitioner can do most of what the physician can do when it comes to treating colds, sore throats, flu etc and it is a lower cost provider so it saves the system money.

You may be wondering how do you become an NP and what would you do if you were an NP. Most nurse practitioners work in hospitals or medical centers, like registered nurses. There, they’ll be responsible for a number of general nursing duties, which are duties completed by nurses of all educational levels. These duties include gathering patient histories, working with doctors to order diagnostic tests, and performing routine examinations. Nurses may also be in charge of tasks such as taking blood, checking vital signs, delivering meals, and maintaining records, though many times, these duties are left to lower-level nurses, rather than to nurse practitioners.

A nurse practitioner can act as the primary caregiver when a doctor isn’t available. In some states, nurse practitioners must work in collaboration with a doctor, but in other states, this isn’t required. That means that you could even open your own practice as a nurse practitioner in some locations. With a nurse practitioner program, you’ll specialize in one area of medicine, like oncology or orthopedics, so the care you give specifically depends on your specialty.

With any medical facility, there’s a lot of paperwork that needs to be completed. As a nurse practitioner, you’ll be responsible for maintain patient records and writing reports, among other things. This might be one of the most boring parts of your day, but it is also one of the most important, as incorrect paperwork can lead to dangerous drug interactions, an incorrect diagnosis, and other patient mix ups.

It takes hard work and years of school to become a Nurse Practitioner but if you have what it takes it can be a very rewarding career. For more information on a career as an NP check out some the sites below: